Meditation

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Meditate to Alleviate
…stress, anxiety, ailments and physical disorders

Our lives today are fast-paced, to say the least. Polluted environs, long working hours, tough competition, strained relationships, stressed lifestyles – just a few of the demons of modern day living. We live sedentary and mechanical lives, with few meaningful activities to bring us true joy, love or compassion.

How often do we take a moment to pause and ask ourselves, “Is this the best way to live?”, “Am I content with myself?”, or “Am I healthy enough physically and mentally to meet the daily challenges of life?”

When you do, you will realize that very often, the answer is a ‘no’. And if this unhappy state continues for too long, then you must take charge to improve the quality of your life.

Meditation is one such step toward the journey of fulfillment in one’s life.

Meditation is a Yogic practice, well known for its healing effect on human beings. Today worldwide, when individuals are faced with the prevalent risk of ailments such as heart or brain diseases, and other psychological disorders like stress, anxiety, depression etc, meditation is like a ray of hope for a healthy and happy life.

“Meditation is a single lesson of awareness, of no-thought, of spontaneity, of being total in your action, alert, aware. It is not a technique, it is a knack. Either you get it or you dont." - Osho

Meditation is a state of mind in which there is alertness, dynamism, disassociation of mind and senses and total concentration. Meditation is a psycho physiological practice. It harmonizes and strengthens the psychic self first and then shows its positive impact at the physical level too. It helps strengthen one’s psychic abilities to meet the daily challenges of life.

Meditation also helps us to understand our own mind. It helps us to transform our thoughts from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy. Overcoming negative thoughts in the mind and cultivating constructive ones in place is infact one of the main establishements of meditation.

Make a start

For beginners into meditation, simple deep breathing exercises for 10-15 minutes a day is a great start. It can help one overcome regular stress and find some inner peace and balance.

Meditation activates a specific energy centre of the body and switches on certain powers that awaken internal stamina. This is how the body is energized through a deep relaxing effect.

Why Meditation:

In ancient times, meditation was practiced widely for spiritual growth and self-realization. Today, apart from that, it is coming to be known more for its health benefits such as:

• Strengthening the nervous system
• Improving concentration and awareness
• Opening of the chakras, rendering you more loving and open to others
• Deep relaxation and spontaneous healing
• Developing sharp memory
• Defeating psychosomatic and stress related disorders
• Improving performance and quality of work
• Getting rid of insomnia
• Attaining a balanced state of emotions
• Improving creative skills
• Improving will power

Science behind Meditation

Modern psychotherapists have begun to discover various therapeutic benefits of meditation practices. The state of relaxation and the altered state of consciousness both induced by meditation are especially effective in psychotherapy.

Modern medical science too is now paying attention to searching the science behind this ancient Indian knowledge.
Meditation has been found to decrease heart rate as well as blood pressure. There is also a marked decrease in the level of oxygen utilization and Co2 elimination by muscles that leads to mental tranquility and muscular lightness.

Meditation produces a specific neural activation pattern involving decreased limbic arousal (Schwartz 1975). Since the limbic system contains hypothalamus, which controls the autonomic system, reduction in limbic arousal may explain how meditation reduces stress; thus meditation strengthens and enhances the body’s ability to cope with stress.

The blood level of stress related chemicals have been found to decrease during meditation, including reduced blood levels of lactate, cortisol and epinephrine (Wallace 1970, Sudsuang Et al. 1991). Reduction in these blood chemicals denoting a state of lower tension and lactate concentration - during and after meditation - may explain the subjective feeling of wakeful relaxation.

Some top researches have stated that a meditator gains happiness, freedom from anxiety, context with self and greater vitality. Some other articles have also suggested that meditation improves confidence, a sense of well-being, empathy and self actualization (Hjelle 1974). Meditation also decreases anger arousal (Duo and Swinder 1992).

Meditation may accelerate the neural conduction or augment the release of neurotransmitters, thereby decreasing synaptic time, resulting in the development of a sharp sensitivity of the human central nervous system.

Brain physiology during meditation has employed the use of electro encephalographs (EEG) for the measurement of brain waves and electrical activity. With most meditative practices, the EEG patterns exhibit a slowing and synchronization of brain waves, with alpha waves predominating. More advanced practitioners of meditation demonstrate even greater slowing of brain waves predominating with possible emergence of theta wave patterns. These patterns are consistent with deep relaxation. Alpha waves are more conducive to creativity and to the assimilation of new concepts, while theta response seems to be the stage at which the mind is capable of deep insight and intuition.

Thus more than spiritual progress, meditation also has several proven physical benefits. Modern medical science is now recommending meditation as an alternative therapy for diseases like hypertension, cardiac ailments, nervous system related disorders, etc.

There is a common myth held about yoga and meditation - that it is only for the old and aged. However, it is far from the truth, for both practices infact are perfect for people of all ages. A student can learn to improve his memory, concentration, creativity and intelligence through meditation. An adult can achieve a mature state of emotions, strong will power, and tolerance, can cope better with stress, anxiety, and depressive circumstances, and people in their twilight years can attain peace of mind, and spiritual progress through meditation.